Taoping Qiang Village

Taoping Village, home to the Qiang ethnic minority, is one of the most famous places to visit in China. This unique village is located in Lixian County of the Aba Prefecture, Sichuan Province. It is the best-preserved village exclusively inhabited by Qiang ethnic group with a long history of 2,000 years old. Built in 111 B.C., Taoping Village has survived countless armed conflicts and battles over the centuries, mostly due to the unique architecture. Its antiquity and well-maintained architecture have earned its moniker as "Ancient Oriental Castle". Nowadays, Taoping Village has become one of the most popular Sichuan attractions which you should not miss when you travel to Sichuan.

As one of the wonderful Sichuan attractions, the highlights in Taoping village are stone houses, watchtowers and the water system. The houses in Taoping Village are built with stone, timber and mud without any painting on the outside walls. Usually, the houses have five storeys: Livestock is kept on the first floor. The living room, bedrooms and kitchen are on the second and third floors. If you visit their living room, you will find that the focus point of the living room is fireplace which is made from stone slabs. Here, the fire burns the whole year round. The fireplace also is where the family and friends gather to celebrate weddings, birthdays and festivals. The fourth floor is used for grains storage and the fifth floor is a place of worship where white stones are arranged upon which sacrifices are offered.

In Taoping Village, the tallest and biggest buildings are watchtowers which were used for defending against enemies in the ancient time. Once enemy was seen, they will release smoke from the top of the watchtower. The smoke can alert everyone within hundreds of miles. The complex and highly effective water supply network is another fascinating highlight of Taoping Village. Aqueducts run beneath streets and houses, water is simply fetched by lifting the stone slab on top. All of these unique architectures make Taoping to be one of the famous places to visit in China.

For thousands of years, the local Qiang people have kept their traditional life style whether for the clothing, handicrafts, food or the festivals. Qiang people in Taoping Village have a strong esthetic sense. The local people, who are very good at Qiang embroidery, sew their own garments and footwear and embroider them with various motifs. For the travelers, you can choose the embroidered wallets, handbags or local costumes as ideal souvenirs and gifts. As one of the famous Sichuan attractions, Taoping Village has its unique food such as medicinal dishes and soup which you should not miss. When you travel to Taoping Village, you can visit Miyaluo Scenic Area, Zoige Grassland and Jiuzhaigou National Park. You also can have a Songpan Horse-trekking tour. All of these are the wonderful Sichuan tour.